Spirituality as Part of Worldview
Spirituality
When we speak of a person's Spirituality, we often think it means 'their religion'. Spirituality means many different things to many different people. People can be religious and spiritual, but they can also be spiritual without having any apparent religious affiliation. The following video is an interesting perception of how the First Nations Catholics integrate their aboriginal roots and their Catholic faith in a church and a school in Edmonton.
Published on Sep 16, 2014 First aired on November 2009: Mary Rose Bacani goes to Edmonton, Alberta, to find out more about how the First Nations Catholics integrate their aboriginal roots and their Catholic faith. She participates in a First Nations liturgy at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, speaks to Aboriginal students at Ben Calf Robe School, and discusses art with Cree artist Wayne Ashley. Photo Credit: Phil Fontaine, leader of Canada's Assembly of First Nations, attends the general audience with Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 29. Fontaine was among members of a delegation meeting with the pope about the tragic legacy ofIndian residential schools, many of which were run by Catholic dioceses and orders. (CNS photo Emanuela De Meo, Catholic Press Photo) CategoryFirst Nations Spirituality
1Four Directions Teachings.com
First Peoples Spirituality First Nations people and Inuit who follow traditional ways believe in a higher power called the Great Spirit or the Creator. Spirituality is a part of being alive and a part of everyday life (Kainai Board of Education et al 2005, 68). This worldview presents human beings as inhabiting a universe made by the Creator and striving to live in a respectful relationship with nature, one another and oneself (Alberta Education 2005, 156). Everything in the universe possesses a kind of power or energy, similar to soul; this power is capable of transferring to birds, animal, and humans. For example, animals that become prey are part of a natural cycle whereby they offer themselves to become sustenance for the people. In return, the people honour the animals’ spirits by offering prayers.
Like many other groups, First Nations people and Inuit place a great deal of faith in the power of prayer. Prayers thanking the Creator for all the blessings are offered during ceremonies such as sweats, at feasts and meetings, and at the beginning and end of the day. Ceremonies are the primary vehicle for spiritual expression. A ceremonial leader or elder ensures the authenticity and integrity of spiritual observances. Nothing is written down, as the very act of writing would negate the significance of the ceremony. Teachings are therefore passed on from elder to elder in a strictly oral tradition.
Most First Nations and Inuit groups have varied beliefs and spiritual practices. It is important that one does not overgeneralize or characterize spirituality as being the same for everyone. What is most important is that some of the knowledge relating to spiritual beliefs and practices is privileged by those who are members of the community. It is an honour to be invited to share in sacred ceremonies. Under no circumstances should non-Aboriginal teachers attempt to teach about First Nations or Inuit spirituality. If teachers and students are interested in knowing more, an elder or spiritual advisor should be approached to share teachings they believe are appropriate to the particular group.
Taken from: Education is Our Buffalo
A Perspective on Cree Spirituality - Cree Spirituality Project
Metis Spirituality
Métis Spiritualism - Darren R. Préfontaine, Todd Paquin and Patrick Young
General Overview of MĂ©tis Spiritualism
Because the Métis have Indigenous and European ancestry, a weighty subject such as Métis spiritualism and religion is not easy to categorize. Furthermore, since Métis communities are very diverse in their cultural orientation, it is impossible to discern a common Métis religion and spiritualism. For instance, many Métis orient themselves towards traditional Aboriginal spiritualism, while others are adherents of Roman Catholicism and various Protestant denominations; and still others blend Christianity with Aboriginal spiritualism. Like many in the general society, some Métis have become Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and members of other religions or New Age revitalization movements.1
Full Article at: www.Metis Museum.ca
1Prefontaine, Darren R., and Todd Paquin and Patrick Young "MĂ©tis Spiritualism." The Virtual Museum of Metis History and Culture. Gabriel Dumont Institute, May 30, 2003. Web. 22 January 2017
To understand Métis spirituality, one must understand Métis history. However, identifying a single starting point of the Métis people is difficult. Perhaps historian Grant MacEwan (1981, 3) said it best: “Scholars searching for the roots of the hybrid race heard again and again that the Métis Nation, if such it could be called, was born exactly nine months after the first white men arrived.” Historically, the Métis can define their nationhood by important events, such as the battle of Seven Oaks in 1816, or the Riel Resistances of 1869/70 and 1885. If we look at these historical events as the start of Métis culture and spiritualism, we can see that the Métis show an affinity for European concepts of religion. Cuthbert Grant, Métis leader during the battle of Seven Oaks, was formally educated in Scotland. Riel was chosen by the Catholic Church to go into the seminary. Churches at Batoche and Red River, where priests presided during the buffalo hunt, and much historical documentation show that seminal Métis figures were rooted in Christianity. This is not to say that the First Nations mothers of the Métis Nation had little influence. Being caught between the European and First Nations traditions has been a condition of Métis consciousness from the very beginning, and many proud Métis have practised traditional First Nations spiritualism. Today Métis people most often practise one of three categories of spirituality: First Nations spirituality, Christianity or a blend of the two. Teachers should consult with community leaders in addressing Métis spirituality.
Taken from: Education is Our Buffalo
ASHS -Elder Elize Hartley talks about the 7 grandfather teachings of the Metis -Uploaded on May 10, 2011 Aboriginal Students Health Sciences (ASHS) Elder in Residence Elize Hartley talks about various Metis medicines and cultural practices. This episode looks at the 7 grandfather teachings of the Metis.
Inuit Spirituality
Documentary visits spiritual past of Inuit
From: Windspeaker
Life in Canada's northernmost regions has gone through a number of changes over the past century. Once a nomadic people who lived off the land and followed their food supply as it moved with the seasons, the Inuit have been changing since their first contact with Europeans. They now live in settlements of Western-style homes, no longer at the mercy of the often harsh environment that surrounds them, and no longer as connected to the land.
Along with their new ways of living, the European explorers and settlers brought with them European missionaries bent on bringing Christianity to the Inuit people. They worked their beliefs into the Inuit way of life by incorporating Christian figures into the Inuit belief system. The result can be seen today, with the majority of Nunavut's Indigenous people leaving behind their traditional beliefs in favor of Christianity.
Just what those beliefs were is something that interests Zacharias Kunuk. The award-winning film-maker, best known for his feature film Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, the first Aboriginal-language feature film to be made in Canada, has recently completed work on a documentary that looks at the pre-Christian beliefs of the Inuit people.
"That's my interest. I mean, that's everybody's interest, strange stories ... but when they're coming out of our Elders, it just proves that these stories are true."
In producing Angakkuiit: Shaman Stories, Kunuk and his crew went out to talk to Inuit people in and around their home community of Igloolik. They spoke to both young and old about shamanism and the beliefs that once guided the lives of their people.
This is not the first time Kunuk has examined shamanism through his film work. Igloolik Isuma Productions, the production company he helped to found in 1990, has touched on shamanism in both Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner and in its Nunavut (Our Land) series. But for this project, shamanism was the sole focus.
"We've been doing oral history, and a big part of oral history is what religion Inuit had for 4,000 years before Christianity was introduced. And in this area, Christianity was introduced about a hundred years ago. And what was going on before that, what people believed in, that's what we're interested in," Kunuk said.
"We traveled around Nunavut, a few places, meeting with Elders on that subject. And it was interesting because everywhere we went there was a different story of the same belief. And I'm always interested in why traditional storytelling and drum dancing was banned in this community in the 70s because of religion. So I was really interested.
"When I was growing up, I never even experienced my parents singing traditional songs, because they were so taught in Christianity that on a Sunday my brothers and sisters, we were not even allowed to play outside," he said. "So we wanted to look back and see what Inuit belief was."
While Christianity first arrived in the North a century ago, Kunuk didn't have any difficulty finding people who still knew the old stories because many of the Elders in the area were still living on the land 50 years ago, and learned the traditional beliefs before coming into the new western-style settlements. And because they knew Kunuk and his crew, they were willing to share their memories and tell them the stories.
"I guess if they didn't know us they wouldn't welcome us, but they know us, so they welcome us," Kunuk said. "With this subject, I think the Elders felt that if we do it, we are the right people to do it, coming from the culture."
Kunuk said he felt it was important to make a documentary on shamanism and to record these traditional stories because they are not a part of modern Inuit life.
"Nobody is talking about it. I mean, nobody really wants to believe it. It seems today that Inuit belief is not very important. And getting your education is more important, getting a good government job is important. That's how it's going," he said.
"Since Christianity came, people got away and never wanted to come back to that subject. We're just reminding for our Inuit audience, just to wake them up on where they came from and what brought them here today. And why we're having so many problems nowadays. But before that, there were no problems. They had problems, but they [had to] watch out for these shaman, because they're going to find out. They always find out what's wrong ... somebody got sick and had to confess; they had to confess all their bad doings. Hell, you couldn't hide from them. They could even see your face, even if you didn't tell them. But now we've lost that, we've all lost that now. You can't even find who broke that window last night. But if we had shaman, they would know," Kunuk said.
While he thinks it is important to record and preserve the traditional stories, Kunuk doesn't think there is room for the traditional beliefs in Inuit society today.
" I think the damage is already done."
While filming the documentary, Kunuk learned a lot about traditional Inuit beliefs, including some of the taboos that people used to adhere to in their daily lives. Because women bore the children, they had more taboos than men, he explained.
"So number one taboo for women-I mean it was very interesting for us to find out-was the Inuit women in this area were not allowed to eat the heart of animals. Because they bear children, they give life, and the heart, it's got something to do with blood, it's the main pump of the blood. But when Christianity came, they broke that taboo by, like a holy communion; they would cut up the heart and give it to women to break all taboos."
He also heard stories about the shamanic connection to sleep paralysis, something he says is common among the Inuit.
"In the middle of the night, your body gets paralyzed, you could not move a muscle, but you're wide awake. And that happens to a lot of Inuit," he said. "But it was very interesting to find out that one of the Elders said that that's the shaman's tet, to see if you could be a shaman. So it was really interesting to find that out. I thought it was always something evil."
The Elders also recounted stories about the Inuit belief in three separate stages of afterlife, one where people who have been sick for a long time go to refresh themselves, two others where people are happy, and there is plenty of game to hunt.
"And shaman would visit these places, and if I have a deceased grandfather and if I wanted to pass a message back, I would hire a shaman to travel to these places and report back to me, or receive messages," Kunuk said.
"But there's also another place where people who commit suicide, there's also a place for that, people who hung themselves or stabbed themselves or cut their throats, they are in that stage, and they say their tongues are hanging out because they're so thirsty. And there's that place."
Kunuk also heard stories about the spiritual powers possessed by the shaman.
"They would have anywhere from one to five to 10 spirits. The more spirits you have, you say your life is expected to be short. And let's say the spirit enters you. While you're having a conversation with somebody and your spiritual helper enters your body, and you know your whole neighborhood talking, what's going on. You could see them even though you're having a conversation. So that was very interesting to find."
Belief in the all-powerful and all knowing shaman was what helped keep people in line in the past, Kunuk explained. Whereas today people might face legal consequences for doing ill, in pre-Christian Inuit culture, people feared the wrath of the shaman.
"Nowadays we're so much into modern rules, bylaws; we don't even think shaman anymore. So in those days, there was less bad people, less bad people who would steal. Of course in those days people did that, but there's a penalty that they would get sick and they have to repent. Shaman were like priests. They would make people confess all their wrongdoings until they solved the problem. But now we don't need to do that."
Angakkuiit: Shaman Stories has been aired on APTN, and was one of the films featured at the Global Visions Film Festival in Edmonton in early November. It will air again on APTN on Dec. 2, during Voices of the Land.
On the heels of Shaman Stories, Igloolik Isuma Productions is preparing to approach the introduction of Christianity to the Inuit people from yet another angle, Kunuk said.
"We touched shamanism, we've touched the old legends ... we're now looking into another feature film where in the 1920s, what we're talking was all happening. Christianity was coming. The Bible was being introduced. And now there were traders trading fur. Life was changing. That's the area that we want to touch. Although we've been trying to touch that. We even touched that in our Nunavut series. But now we're just going based on the facts and based on explorers journals," he said.
"You know the explorer's journals, when you look at them, they give a detail, but that's their point of view, and you have to find out the cultural point of view. I could use an example. In 1822, there were two naval ships that went to here in our bay, and Captain [William Edward] Parry wrote in his journals, every time the men would go hunting, the women would guard their hut. They would even exchange guards. But that is not true. We know that is not true, coming from the culture. What these women are doing, since there's no way of communications with the hunters, they're standing out there listening, hoping to hear or see the hunters coming home. So they have people waiting. I'll just use that small example of how much misunderstanding that went on when Europeans encountered the people on this side of the earth."
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Uploaded on Dec 29, 2008
Angaangaq is an Eskimo-Kalaallit Elder whose family belongs to the traditional healers of the Far North from Kalaallit Nunaat, Greenland. His name means "the man who looks like his uncle". -Healer, Storyteller, Activist Uncle, as he is frequently called, bridges the boundaries of cultures and faiths in people young and old. His work has taken him to five continents and over 40 countries around the world including South Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Arctic Europe, Russia, and Siberia. As a traditional healer, storyteller and carrier of a Qilaut (drum), Angaangaq conducts Healing Circles, Intensives and sweat lodges integrating the wisdom of traditional Inuit teachings from the unwritten healing traditions of the Eskimo-Kalaallit people. Angaangaq is internationally respected in native communities as an Elder of the Canadian-based Four Worlds International Institute for Human and Community Development and with the World Council of Elders.
Angaangaq is a keynote speaker at international conferences and symposia on environmental and indigenous issues. Angaangaq participates in peace and spiritual vigils with the United Nations, speaking on panels for the United Nation Environmental Protection Agency, the Panel on Religion and Spirituality, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, as well as the Panel for UNESCO´s Oceans, Fishers and Hunters. His work is acclaimed in promoting interracial and intercultural harmony.
Angaangaq is an Elder of the Tribal Link Foundation, Inc. and a member of the World Commission on Global Consciousness and Spirituality acting as liaison to indigenous tribes. He is associated with the United Religions Initiative in alliance with the United Nations, the Club of Budapest International, The Masters Group, the Earth Restorations Corps., and the Jane Goodall Institute. He is an Elder in association with West VirginiaUniversity and speaks frequently at Universities and colleges in North America and Europe. Sharing healing circles with leaders of small villages and indigenous tribes from around the world is among his most rewarding work. Among the world healers and speakers, Angaangaq has shared the dais with: Jane Goodall, Dr. Phil Lane, Co-coordinator of Four Worlds International & Four Directions, Chief Oren Lyons, Faith Keeper of the Onondaga Nation, Mercedes and Geraldo Barrios, Dr. Theo Paredes, and the Zulu spiritual leader, Credo Mutwa. Angaangaq is a dear friend of Grandfather William Commanda, Elder of the Algonquin Nation and the Circle of All Nations in Ottawa.
Angaangaq, or Uncle as he is known around the Globe, has addressed audiences in more than 40 countries on a wide range of issues, including the impact of climate change on the indigenous peoples of the arctic region. He conveys his message through a combination of storytelling, song and drumming, and dialogue with program participants. Angaangaq is also a skilled mediator and facilitator, helping resolve intra-familial and tribal/community disputes through the use of talking circles. Uncle has spoken before governments, politicians and United Nations councils. He is an internationally respected Elder for the Native Communities of the Circumpolar Arctic, North and South America and Europe. Angaangaq is a member of the World Wisdom Council and World Commission on Global Consciousness and Spirituality and an Elder of the Tribal Link Foundation, Inc., acting as liaison to indigenous tribes. He is associated with the United Religions Initiative in alliance with the United Nations, the Club of Budapest International, The Masters Group, and the Earth Restorations Corps. and Jane Goodall Institute. He is an Elder in association with West Virginia University and speaks frequently at Universities and colleges in North America and Europe. Sharing healing circles with leaders of small villages and indigenous tribes from around the world is among his most rewarding work.
The Significance of the Circle
1Four Directions Teachings.com
The circle is a universal symbol of connection, unity, harmony, wholeness and eternity. In a circle all parts are equal (Kainai Board of Education et al 2005, 87). The circle is an important symbol, because the First Nations’ belief system holds that everything is circular. Life is circular—a person is born, grows into childhood, matures and becomes old, at which point thoughts and actions become childlike again. The seasons are cyclical. Earth moves in a circle. Everything moves in a circle, from the rising sun to the setting sun, from the east and back to the east. The day is divided into four segments of time: sunrise, noon, sunset and night.
The circle also symbolizes inclusion and equality. In traditional First Nations meetings or gatherings, everyone sits in a circle in accordance with the belief that all people are equal. This symbol is drawn on teepees, woven into clothing and made into ornamental parts of one’s national dress. The circle is also the basis of many beautiful works of jewellery and art, which are precious possessions.
The circle teaches that four elements—mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical—are distinctive and powerful yet interconnected components of a balanced human life. Each of the four elements represents a particular way of perceiving things, but none is considered superior to or more significant than the others, and all are to be equally respected. The emphasis is always placed on the need to seek and explore the four great ways in order to gain a thorough understanding of one’s own nature in relation to the surrounding world. Today, these four elements are often expressed in the medicine wheel, which has been adopted by many First Nations people regardless of whether it is part of their traditional culture. Just as the acorn carries within it the potential to become a mighty oak tree, the four aspects of our nature (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) are like seeds that have the potential to grow into powerful gifts (Alberta Education 2005, 87).
Other aspects of life can be symbolized using the circle or medicine wheel. For example, the four symbolic races (red, white, yellow and black) express the idea that we are all part of the same human family. All are brothers and sisters living on the same Mother Earth. The four stages of life—infancy, youth, maturity and old age—relate to a person’s life cycle. Each part of the life cycle is characterized by celebrations and rituals. There are many variations in the ways this basic concept is expressed: the four directions, the four winds, the four sacred plants and other relationships that can be expressed in sets of four.
Among the First Nations groups in Canada, the four sacred plants—tobacco, sage, sweetgrass and cedar—are used in sacred ceremonies to help participants enter them with a good heart. These herbs are usually burned, and people carry out ritual actions using the smoke to cleanse their bodies and spirits. In the sweetgrass ceremony, also called a smudge, sweetgrass is used to symbolically cleanse the body and important objects. During pipe ceremonies where tobacco is offered, the smoke represents one’s visible thought; tobacco travels ahead of the words so that honesty will be received in a kind and respectful way (Kainai Board of Education et al 2005, 93).
—Francis Whiskeyjack Saddle Lake, AlbertaTobacco can be used as a gift, in ceremonies, in prayer and as a medicine (commercial tobacco should not be used as medicine because it contains harmful chemicals). Tobacco was never meant to be used as it is today, smoked indiscriminately to the detriment of one’s health. When people want advice from an elder or prayers said on their behalf, they should first offer the elder tobacco. Interpretations of the circle or medicine wheel vary greatly among First Nations groups.
To learn more about how the circle or medicine wheel is represented and interpreted in your area, consult local elders.
*Some First Nations in Treaty 7 will use the colour black in this quadrant of the Medicine Wheel.
Taken From: Education is Our Buffalo. p. 30
Ceremonies
First Nations Powwow
Powwows, also called Indian Days or Indian Celebrations, are usually held during July and August on reserves throughout Canada and the United States. Powwows have become a panIndian cultural movement throughout North America, and people travel hundreds of miles to attend. Those who travel from one powwow to another all summer long—usually traditional families or champion dancers—are said to be “on the powwow trail.” Powwows bring together many different First Nations to celebrate their traditional heritage during three days of song and dance. The traditional powwow is conducive to reinforcing social bonds, spiritual beliefs and a common cultural heritage. The powwow setting is usually a huge encampment of tents, trailers and teepees around a main area called an arbor where food and craft booths are set up and where all the activities take place. Dance competitions, special dance demonstrations, naming ceremonies, feasts and giveaways take place each day following a sunrise ceremony. On the last day, the host nation or powwow committee shows gratitude to its visitors by conducting a giveaway.Round Dance:
The common round dance is performed by everyone at powwows and other social events. The traditional round dance practised by the Cree in Alberta and Saskatchewan usually occurs during a one-day communal event. It is a part of a memorial for a deceased relative and is held one year after his or her death. Round dances are now used to celebrate a birthday or marriage anniversary. The occasion includes a feast, gift giving and round dances. Everyone sits on the floor during the feast to be as near to Mother Earth as possible. Teachers should be aware of the importance of this dance and should know that, for many First Nations parents, attendance at a round dance is a legitimate excuse for absence from school.
Prairie Chicken Dance (Pihewisimowin)
Vancouver Olympics
Sacred Circle and Symbols Assignment
Go to the Sacred Circle and Symbols Assignment. Remember that you will use your Google Docs account from Red Deer Catholic Schools (@rdcrs.ca account). All of your assignments need to be created using Google. Do not cut and paste your assignments from Word to Google! Google allows the teacher to see a time stamped revision history of all of your work; thus, this authenticates that it is your work.
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Elders Assignment
Go to the Elders Assignment. Remember that you will use your Google Docs account from Red Deer Catholic Schools (@rdcrs.ca account). All of your assignments need to be created using Google. Do not cut and paste your assignments from Word to Google! Google allows the teacher to see a time stamped revision history of all of your work; thus, this authenticates that it is your work.
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Ceremonies - Rites of Passage Assignment
Go to the Ceremonies - Rites of Passage Assignment. Remember that you will use your Google Docs account from Red Deer Catholic Schools (@rdcrs.ca account). All of your assignments need to be created using Google. Do not cut and paste your assignments from Word to Google! Google allows the teacher to see a time stamped revision history of all of your work; thus, this authenticates that it is your work.
This link will take you back to the page that explains how to submit an assignment.